Idaho board rethinks online course ruleThe Idaho State Board of Education has repealed a law that would have required students to take at least two online courses to graduate from high school, following the rejection of a ballot referendum that would have established the mandate. In reversing the law, officials say they believe that online learning is important, but a different process may be necessary to put a requirement in place. The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) (free content)
(11/19)

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eLearning

Free apps give teachers tools to record student behaviorEducator Richard Byrne writes in this blog post about three free software applications that teachers can use to track positive and negative student behaviors. Two of the programs are in beta, but the third, ClassDojo, is a free app being used by teachers across all grade levels to track attendance and behaviors. Teachers using the app can assign access codes to parents so they can look in on their child's progress. School Library Journal/The Digital Shift blog
(11/19)

Pa. district offers versatility with self-blend learning modelQuakertown Community School District in Bucks County, Pa., offers a unique approach to education, in which students can take courses online or in person -- or a combination of the two. Tom Murray, director of technology and cybereducation for the district, writes in this blog post about the obstacles the district faced in implementing the model, which he says offers "complete versatility" for students that is needed in today's schools. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education
(11/19)

School chalkboards get "smart" in Mass. districtThe installation of interactive whiteboards to replace traditional chalkboards was part of a rollout of 4,000 new technology devices in Lowell, Mass., public schools this year. MacBooks and iPads also were distributed. Teachers have been adapting to the new technology, in part by meeting weekly to share ideas on how to use the new interactive whiteboards. Educators say already students are more enthusiastic and engaged in the classroom. The Sun (Lowell, Mass.)
(11/19)

Australian schools consider options for limited technology fundsThe government of Australia in 2007 started distributing computers to students in grades 9 to 12 and now those devices are reaching the end of their lifespans. Now, a report expected to be released today finds that some schools are allowing students to bring their own technology to school. "Educators ... are concerned with schools' ability to continue providing computing devices to students should, as it seems likely, funding models for one-to-one student programs be withdrawn in 2013-2014," Joseph Sweeney, of Intelligent Business Research Services, writes in the report. The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
(11/20)

Proposed social media policy considers First Amendment rightsOfficials in a Massachusetts school district are considering a new policy that would limit the way teachers and students can use social media to interact. The goal is to ensure that any interaction on such sites is "in a safe and responsible manner." Under the proposed policy, teachers would be banned from communicating with students from a personal social media profile but would be allowed such interaction from a professional profile. MetroWest Daily News (Framingham, Mass.)
(11/20)

Last Byte

Why children's social-networking needs to be studiedSocial networking is prevalent among teenagers, but not much is known about how pre-teens use social networks, or about what influences their social media habits, a Joan Ganz Cooney Center report says. "We need further research on the role of parental limits, rules, and restrictions on children's social networking as well as how families, siblings, peers, and schools influence children’s online social networking," the report says. Wired.com
(11/19)

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